THE CURSE OF RESPECTABILITY Respectability to-day is the chief concern of the human race, and mar riage is the matrix of respectabilTY. Respectability is an attc- ,pt to reduce all life to a simple conventional for mula. It merges the contracts c: life. It is an antidote to romance, '0c It limits one's activities in near every line of hu;u:n'. endr-e vor. It requires us to read certai, books, to see certain plays, to d&amp;ss after the prevailing fashion, to a',' certain topics of conversation. It forces upon us engraved cards and frock coats, the novels of Williaa Dean Howells and the portraits 0" Sargent. It turns our minds from the important things of life to the creas-e in our trousers and the wings of Cur collars. It focuses the brains of the nation on unimportant details of philology. It limits a man to one wife. and raises his barber to a dizY" pinnacle of importance. Should te barbers go on strike to-n.orrow. in a week's time we should lose mutc of our respectability our...

DIET FOR INDIGESTION. No treatment in cases of dyspes:3 i~ likely to have much effect unlet the diet is very careful.y reguate. The great thing is to supply the stlr" ::ch with such food as will give it t? least amount of work. Roast menat, i example, is preferable to boled chicken, game (not too high) and mua ton are more digestible thian bee or pork. Vegetables are frequentl. Pr dictive of discomfort, particuila?ilI t.he form of flatulence. They shou; either be given up for a time, or t very sparinglv. It will someti n'e' d toTund that a fresh salad, dressd oil and a little vinegar, can be di8a ed when cooked vegetables cannot r, :aken. The latter are best served ". a puree. If vegetables have to 1 t:ve; up. fruits, such as baked AP pics. grapes, and oranges should be :aken instead. Lemon Iuice also m8 be used in water. Bread should be :oasted, or taken stale. Pastry, cake twice cooked meat, soups. tea and CS -. (except in the strictest maode ;:on) should be excluded frol ta .. Fo...

MELBOURNE PRODUCE MARKET. The Gippaland and Northern Co operative Selling Co. Ltd report: Wheat.-F.a.q. 3,/91, to 3 10, medium qualities according to sample. Oats Milling 1/11, feed 1/9:). to 1/10 for best. 1/7?: to 1/S for medium. Bar ley.-Choice English scarce at 3/6, good 3/2 to 3/4, no enquiry for ime dium; Cape 1/11 to 2/4, according to quality. Maize.-Holders are asking 4, but buyers are disinclined to pay that price, 3 11 being the best offer. Potatoes.-There was a good enquiry, and prima Carmans realised £4/15/ to £5, Brownells £4/15', medium and in ferior lower. Onions.--These remain steady at £6 for prime. Chaff.-Prime oaten is selling at £3,'"6, and good at £3; but lower grades are ditticult to clear at prices ranging downii to £2 12/6 to £2;15. Barrow Bros. report:-Cheese.-The demand continues brisk for new makes, which realised 6',%d to 7d per lb., me dium to good 5zd to 6d, semi-matur td 701. prime mellow matured ud to Sd, prime new loaf 6:,d to 0d, inferior lower. But...

PORT ." i. : A!: (To the Editor ' ".; Sir,-In yo: .. ,,: e.p o . of the R.osedale Shire Council meeting, on March 17th, there appeared the follow ing motion-" Futcher-Umphelby - That the engineer submit plans and specifications for carrying out urgent works on Sale-Port Albert road, through the Country Roads Board." This work included the whole of the unformed portion of the road as far as Merriman's Creek. The shire en gineer and surveyor are now engaged on the work, and tenders will be in vited as soon as possible for carry ing out the worst portions, or the \\hole, if permitted by the board. An other motion:-' Futcher-Umnphelbv. -That tenders be invited for putting gravelled portionl of the Sale-Port Al bert-road in good repair through the Main Roads Board.' This motion means that the board has allowed £100 for maintenance work only, and ten ders are being called for it, as the money must be spent where specified, otherwise the granit would be lost. Now, the writer of a letter in...

The weather coltinues warin, though dulL A few scattered showers have failcn since our last issue, and signs of miore rain continue. A good honest downfall would be appreciated. A business meeting of the Sale 'ounlg People's Party was held in the lirtsbyterian nSuniday-schoolroomn on T'.eday evening, when the ollico t?arers and conmmittee for the ensu Ing year were elected. It was decided to hold a meeting every alternate Wed r.sday evening. and it was leIt to the committee to decide whether a syl !abus was to be framied for the sea Fon or monthly. It was also decided to forward circulars to all the former tremnbers, reminding them of the conl mnceerccnt of the new season. Mr. folland is the lion. secretary. Following the resignation of Super intendent tieck from the police force, fergeant Noble, ot Prahran, and form • erly of Sale, will gain promotion to the rank of sub-inspector. rThough slow in arriving, Sergeant Noble's advance 'ltint will be learned t, with pleasure by a lar'e ...

CORRESPONDENCE. -4---a---- W\HIAT SETTLERS SUFFER. (To the Editor "OlGppsland Mercury.") Sir,-I have lbeen living ill the back block district of Tablerabbera for a good many years past, and have dis posed of my property there, and am in a position to state what settlers have to suffer on account of w-hat may with Justice be called the maladmiiistra tiolln of the Governilenm, especially as rtegards the suppression of thile rabbit pest, which Is in that locality most acute,. anid is on the increase, instead of heiiig, as it shouldl have been, dlm illisheld by colnmonsense methods. The C'ro\XlI lands alre utterly tlunltttenllded to, aIlid rfoli breeding-groTunds, so that whatever tile settlers aiId C'ruown tle ants lay- do their efforts are quite useless; and thile settlers do a great deal, being forced to do so by the rabl)it inspectors, who are autocrats ill tilhe mnatter. itut when 1 say forced to (do, I inelill oily those wilo are collsidered "worthy of powder alnd shot, and thile ...

LATEST INTELLIGENCE. (By Wire.) (From Our Own Correspondent.) Telbou'rne. Thursday. TIlE DUTY ON MANURES. The Interstate Commission heard evidence from Cuming Smith, and the lMount Lyell Co., in favour of 20 per cent. duty on imported fertiliscrs, to prevent dumping. It was admitted that the extra duty would mean £7500 a year more expense to farmners.

TEMPERANCE BAND BAZAAR, The Temperance 1-land Bazaar was commenced In the Temperance Hall yesterday afternoon. The President (Mr. E. Napper) in troduced the Mayor (Cr. Cullinan), who opened the bazaar, and expressed his pleasure at the progress of the band, which he wished continued suc cess, and impressed on those present the worthlly object the bazaar had in helping such an organisation. He specially thanked the band for its ser vices on Hospital Sunday, and stated his appreciation of those services. The following ladies have charge of the stalls:-1--Work pnd Fancy-goods stall: Mesdames Rayner, Clarke, Bo litho, Henry, and Miss Rayner. Eas ter Tree: Mesdames Colvin, Rayner, Henry and Stephenson. Jumble Stall: Miss W1ade. Flower Stall: Mrs. and Miss Lacey. Ice-creamn and Sweet Stall: Mesdames Herron, Peck, and Thornley. Vegetable Stall: Mesdames Collocott, Nichols, Trembath. Pap worth, and Miss Asher, Refresh ments: Mesdames Richardson, F. Cartledge and Chalmers, and Mtssrs. Henry,...

GOVERNMENT BANKING. The Premiers' Conference discussedl the Savings Bank question. Mr. Watt opposed thd suggestion to approach the Govcrnor of the Commonwcalth Bank, and said .that Victoria did not fear any Commonwealth competition. He believed thie. Commonwealth Bank should be a national bank, and outlin I a scheme by which it would keel) I State accounts, and hand over say ings bank business to the State in stitutions. On Mr. Holman's motion, it was un animously agreed to work out the de tails in each State for subnlission to the Prime Minister. The State debts .question "was dis cussed during the afternoon with the assistance of Federal Ministers.

MAFRRA SHIRE COUNCIL. - ----_40 - WEDNESDIAY, APRIL 1. Present-'l'he President (Cr. Allar diyce), and Crs. Hlorstman, Noble, Lin ton, Osborn, l' l)onald, Flynn and Kelly. Correspondence. From Senior-constable 'Wall, Bria golong, resigning the position of In spector of nuisances for East Riding. Accepted. Constable O'Malley was appointed. From the Board of Public Health. stating that the board had given con sideration of the question of cleansing drinking glasses, spoons, etc., at sports, and inviting the attention of the coun elI to certain regulations which were to be enforced.-Received. Fronl same, asking for strict sliuper vision over fishmongers' shops? and hawkers' barrows, to prevent bad fish being sold.-Received. From Mr. Ostberg. Newry, asking for fresh consideration of the facts re lative to thd health ofllcer 's report as to his dairy.-Received. From the Publie Health Departnment, stating that Mr. Ostberg's dairy should he opened, only when the local health officer is sati...

GENERAL . NEWS. Thomas Healey, aged-.29,, who had his arm and leg severed through at tempting to board a movinig train at Spencer-street last night, died this morning. A unionist at Casterton was fined £5, with 66/ costs, for. assaulting a non-unionist farm labourer. Dr. Gilruth is returning .ros the Northern Territory on Saturday. Julius Leypo!dt, a solicitor, of Ben digo, was sentenced to five years' hard labour for misappropriation of clients' money. Allen Doone, the Irish. actor, was fined 40/ for driving his motor-car at 32 miles an hour along the St. Kilda road.

A FIGHT FOR LIFE. Dlarwin, Monday. A tldesperate encounter with blacks is reltorted from Victoria River district. Mounted Constables Johns and Stret toll had arrested two natives under suspicion of being implicatedlin the mnurder of a half-caste, and \were ex amniing anotllher camp of natives, when they came on fresh beef, for which the camp could give no satis factory account. They therefore made three more arrests, and proceeded to puit light neck chains on the prison ers for safe conv\'eyauce to the station, some days' journey distant. The party had scarcely started when the chains became entangled, and Johns, in order to free the tangle. went in between the prisoners. Sud denly, and without warning, the five men closed round him, and brought him to tihe ground. Three of them then attempted to wrest the rtle from him, while two attacked Stretton with the same object. The struggle becaooe very desperate, and tinally Johnls's gun was taken from him,. and was just in the act of bein...

The Supreme Test. By A. G. Greenwood. "I'm no Mr. Carnegie meself," con fessed iMrs. Knoyle, my landlady, apol ogetically. She had asked humbly if I could pay her only a little on account. "An' 'ere's a pipe; p'raps you might find a job in the adver-tise-ments," she suggested. "Good-night, Mr. Smith." "You're a 'brick." I said-and she'd been too kind to me to let me feel shamed at my husky voice. "I'll pay somehow-or I'll go. But I'll never forget, Mrs. Knoyle. The thirty shil lings I owe you shall be a first charge oni what I earn." Thirty shillings! The sum meas ures things up. The gutter was very close. For six weeks I'd rehearsed in "The Ruby Girl" without payment- walking on in the crowd. The play had failed. In a week the notices were up. In a fortnight the company --all but the lucky "stars"-were stalking the Strand. I got nothing out of it. But I" met Eva--Eva Bradley. She was in the chorus-daughter of a barrister-an orphan, brought up to idleness. In my pocket lay her last ...

PREPARING THE LAND. Much has been heard during the last year or two as to the value of explo sives for sub-soiling land intended to be planted with fruit trees and vines. and some authorities have made out. on paper, strong arguments in favor of their use. The lecturer in viticul ture and fruit culture at the Rose worthy College, South Australia, how ever, is doubtful if the work by such means can be performed as effective ly and economically as with teams and the ordinary implements used for the purpose. He considers that by adopting the usual method of sub soiling a more uniform layer of soil will be obtained to a depth ranging from 18 to 24 inches, and the cost of such work may be put down at be tween £4 and £6 per acre. Ou the other hand, he reckons that to secure equally satisfactory results with ex plosives the cost will work out at £20 an acre. In a comprehensive articl, in "The Journal of Agriculture" Mr. Laffer speaks highly of the English ditching plough, which is desi?.n,...